Naming Patterns of Recent Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union to Israel.

Lawson, Edwin D.; Glushkovskaya, Irina

To identify patterns of first names over three generations, two samples of 100 Jewish families representing over 1,400 individuals from the former Soviet Union were interviewed. Sample 1 came mainly from Ukraine and European Russia; Sample 2 came from Uzbekistan and Tadzhikistan. Individuals in the samples were born between 1886 and 1992. Both samples show that the traditional patterns of naming a child after a deceased relative is still strong, despite, some decline. Sample 1 showed a clear tendency to use a Russian name identified by the family and/or Jewish community with a Hebrew name. Sample 2 showed a greater tendency to use a Russian or Farsi name, but not one identified with a Jewish name or a deceased relative. Statistical analyses investigate patterns of occupation, level of religious participation, source of the first name (where applicable), most popular names, and most popular sources of first name. Appendixes list the names and their sources. (Author/MSE)